Tower and Town, December 2022

  (view the full edition)

Parade Picks

Charlotte - showing from 22nd December 2022

Charlotte, directed by Tahir Rana and Éric Warin, is an animated biopic of the short and ultimately tragic life of German-Jewish artist Charlotte Salomon (voiced by Keira Knightley in the English version and Marion Cotillard in the French language version) as she and her family attempt to survive in 1940s Germany.

Similarl to 2017’s Loving Vincent, the paintings are the film’s central focus, serving as transitionary devices between the different parts of the narrative. Visually, Charlotte is a masterpiece; while the animation is simple and at times lacks depth, it is ideally suited to showcasing Charlotte’s art style, allowing the viewer to appreciate the talent on display.

 It is clear that the team behind this film have a great deal of reverence for the source material; the film carries an emotional weight and is at times quite harrowing; it is not recommended viewing for anyone affected by depictions of prejudice, racism or related violence or suicide.

The story, while simple, does an excellent job of helping the viewer appreciate Charlotte’s mental state as she hides for her life in Nazi-occupied France. The film does not focus on the atrocities or difficulties of wartime living; the real heartbreak and tragedy come through the ongoing story of Charlotte and her family in this setting.

At only 92 minutes long, Charlotte fills that sweet spot of not being long enough to feel drawn out, but also not short enough for the viewer to feel they have been deprived of important details.

David Williams (Parade Cinema Manager)